Automatic size pre-set and automatic length adjustment system for cut-off machines and the like



Dec. 5, 1967 5, F. RLJEBlNSSTEIN ETAL 3,355,973

AUTOMATIC SIZE FEE-SET AND AUTOMATIC LENGTH ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM FORCUT-OFF MACHINES-AND THE LIKE Original Filed March 26, 1962 3Sheets-Sheet 1 CORRUGHTOZZ SL'TTEZ KAI/FE Dz/VE 45 3 4'5 I5 f 49 MH/A/GEHR RHT/o DRIVE VQRHBLE CONTRaL SPEED Mo-raa M07012 TQflNSMISS/ON 60INCEEME/VT HDJUSTMENT SYSTEM INVENTOR. Ah /R727 STAT/2 s/p/vsy P.Rua/NsTE/N f7... 4. BY

Dec. 5, 1967 S. F. RUBINSTEIN ETAL AUTOMATIC SIZE PRE-SET AND AUTOMATICLENGTH ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM FOR CUT-OFF MACHINES AND THE LIKE OriginalFiled March 26, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 72 S 98 7o; g

FIND 2 ONE 9 O 9 SHOT GHTE 7/ M.\/, 97 R95 /o/ 91 109 was? u5 g TR 5. N.I85 I05 7'00 2, UN; 4 LONG 110 l2! gl/s lra VHEIHSLE r e I0 S-LZZTS ONEI22 5M a] MM /'/6 H7 (5, R. C. M. K a lNC/QEME/VT \/4O 2(4 SIZE F-FlDL/USTME/VT g MEE/JNS "I f 5 L ll'e INVENTORS HFTRQX 57'F-772 SIDNEYP. RUB/NSTE/N Zia/W2 (My ATTORNEY 1957 s. P. RUBINSTEIN EITAL 3AUTOMATIC SIZE FEE-SET AND AUTOMATIC LENGTH ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM FORCUT-OFF MACHINES AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed March 26,1962 6 c x 1 I I I 1 1i N M u L 0 M 6 O & W5 M U L 0 P m 6 m if 5 m C/ow 5 os wwM M J m L o c jlllflla .1 a 5 9 I 00 0 926 S %E V 7 o 5 a I T000 o N 3 7 u w k mm 060 E s NH O E L R n o T D 7'00 SHORT lNC-QEQSEUnited States Patent 3,355,973 AUTOMATIC SIZE PRE-SET AND AUTOMATICLENGTH ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM FOR CUT- OFF MACHINES AND THE LIKE Sidney P.Rubinstein and Harry Star, Franklin Park, N.J.,

assignors, by direct and mesne assignments, to Cutler- Hammer, Inc.,Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Continuation of applicationSer. No. 182,458, Mar. 26, i 1962. This application Mar. 10, 1965, Ser.No. 446,455

11 Claims. (Cl. 83-76) This is a continuation of prior copendingapplication Ser. No. 182,458, filed Mar. 26, 1962, now abandoned.

This invention relates to an automatic size pre-set and lengthadjustment system and in particular to a control system for use inconnection with machines or systems in which a desired number of unitsof equal length are cut from a leading end of a continuous moving web,tube, or the like.

While this invention may be used as control means to automaticallyadjust the size of cut in many different types of devices made for manydiiterent purposes, it is illustrated in this specification inconnection with a cutoff machine such as the one described in US.Letters Patent No. 2,059,412 granted to George W. Swift, Jr., but beingequipped with an increment size adjustment means such as that disclosedin our copending application Ser. No. 448,224, filed Mar. 9, 1965 andnow Patent No. 3,324,751, issued June 13,1967, a continuation of Ser.No. 67,792, filed Nov. 7, 1960, and now abandoned.

The machine of the Swift patent may be used for cutting up a web ofadvancing material into blanks or units of selected length. In themanufacture of corrugated paper board and fibre board, for example, sucha cutofi machine is used at the delivery end of the machine orcorrugator which makes the paper board. The paper board leaves thecorrugator as a web. The cutoff machine receives the traveling web andcuts it into blanks of a predetermined desired length.

The Swift patent type of machine has rotary type cutters through whichthe web travels. The speed of the drive mechanism for the rollers onwhich the cutters or knives are mounted relative to the speed of the webadvance .drive determines the length of the cut unit or blank.

The change of relation of the speed of the main drive for the web andthe rotation of the knife rollers to vary the length of the blank iscontrolled by a variable speed transmission. Any suitable type ofvariable speed transmission may be used. An example of such atransmission is the reeves or variable speed cone drive which isdisclosed in British Patent No. 412,127. The British patent also shows acutoff machine similar to the one shown in the aforesaid US. patentexcept that it has provision for receiving and feeding longitudinalportions of a split traveling web into two or more pairs of revolvingcutters so that two or more cutting and length adjusting operations maybe carried on at the same time.

The usual type of cutoff machine in popular use has two sets of cutters,each with its own variable speed transmission adjusting control means.This type of machinery is well known in the prior art and is illustratedby the partly schematic and partly flow chart view in FIG. 1 of thedrawings.

The box labeled CORRUGATOR in FIG. 1 represents the usual type ofcorrugating machinery. A length of cardboard leaves the corrugator as acontinuous strip or web. The web may be as wide as the width capacity ofthe corrugator; let us say, for example, that it is seventytwo incheswide. The web 10 is then fed horizontally past a vertically disposedknife or cutting means depicted by a box labeled SLIITER. The slitter orslitting knife may 3,355,973 Patented Dec. 5, 1967 be adjusted along thewidth of the cardboard web to provide for two longitudinal strips ofcardboard of complementary widths adding up to the seventy-two inches ofthe width of the original web. For example, the slitting means may beadjusted so that one strip of cardboard will be twenty-four inches wideand the other strip will be forty-eight inches wide. These two webswhich are identified as 10a and 1% are then fed over rollers R into theSwift patent cutolf machine 11 and are cut into units or blanks 12a and12b, respectively.

One strip of cardboard such as 10a is cut by the top knife 13 intoblanks 12a and the other strip or web such as 10b is cut by the bottomknife 14 into blanks 12b. By setting up the corrugator and the cutoffmachine 11 in this manner, cardboard blanks 12a and 12b may be made ofvarious sizes. For example, web 10a twenty-four inches wide may be cutinto blanks sixty inches long. The resulting sheet 12a would then betwenty-four inches wide by sixty inches long. The other web 10bforty-eight inches Wide could be cut into sheets forty-eight incheslong. The resulting sheet would, therefore, be forty-eight inches longby forty-eight inches wide. These sizes are given merely by way ofexample. The machinery can be adjusted for any size blanks within thecapacity of the corrugator and the cutolf machine.

The blank length adjustment is made as explained in either the UnitedStates or British patent mentioned hereinabove by means of a variablespeed transmission. The variable speed transmission which may be of anysuitable type is designated by a box with initials VST and by re ferencenumeral 15b for the bottom knife 14. The variable speed transmissions15a and 15b are adjusted for increasing or decreasing the length of thecut piece by a gear ratio controlling motor designated by referencenumeral 16a for variable speed transmission 15a and 16b for variablespeed transmission 15b.

Thus, the speed of drive for knife roller 17 on which top knife 13 ismounted is controlled through variable speed transmission 15a and gearratio control motor 16a and the speed of the drive for rotary roller 18on which bottom knife 14 is mounted is in turn controlled by variablespeed transmission 15b and gear ratio control motor 16b. The operationsof the variable speed transmissions and control motors are fullydescribed in the above-mentioned US. Patent No. 2,059,412, and areotherwise well known in the art.

Briefly, rotation of a gear ratio control motor such as 16a or 16b inone direction will result in increasing the unit or blank length ofblank 12a or 12b and reversing rotation of gear ratio control motor 15aor 15b will result in decreasing the respective blank length. This willbe explained more fully hereinbelow.

The procedure for adjusting each knife 13 or 14 of cutoff machine 11 inthe prior art requires the operator to set the initial speeds or ratiosfor the variable speed transmissions 15a and 15b for the desired lengthof blanks 12a and 12b and then start running the web of cardboardthrough the cutoff machine 11. The blanks 12a and 12b would then bemeasured manually. If they were not the exact size desired, the operatorwould. then start and stop the reversible adjustment control motor 15aor 15b until, by bit or miss methods, a sheet of the proper size wascut. For example, if it was desired to have a sheet such as sheet 12a(48 inches wide and 60 inches long), the first cutoff machine would beset by the operator for a 60 inch length. Due to the nature of themachine, the initial setting is usually off within limits ofapproximately one inch.

If the blank was 59 inches long, the operator would have to guess howlong to run the adjustment control motor in the proper direction tolengthen the blank exactly one inch. The second try might produce ablank 61 inches long; the third try, 59 /2 inches long; and perhaps bythe fourth or fifth try, a blank of the desired length of 60 incheswould be produced. In the meantime, since the adjustment is made as thecutoff machine is running, ten or twenty or more blanks of valuablecardboard would have been wasted in the effort as well as the time ofthe operator and the cost and wear and tear of running the machine.

In the aforementioned cop-ending application, a method and means forincrement-size adjustment is described by providing a device to run thereversible gear ratio control motor 15a or 1511 for a pre-calculated andpredetermined interval of time to provide for an exact incrementincrease or decrease in the cut blank to take the guesswork out of theadjustment procedure. We shall call this means the predeterminedincrement adjustment system. For example, the said increment adjustmentsystem, when activated, will change the length of a cut blank by anincrement of plus or minus one-tenth of an inch as desired. Theincrement adjustment system runs the control motors 15a or 15b asselected by means of the timing circuit of that invention for a properinterval of time to make one-tenth of an inch change. If the blanks arerunning 0.5 inch too long, the operator taps a decrease length switchfive times to reduce the length of the blank by five separate steps of0.1 inch. The resulting blank will then be the proper length.

However, while this increment adjustment system has many advantages, itis nevertheless necessary for an operator to keep measuring the blanksand activate the increment adjustment systems switches manually.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an automaticmeans for pre-setting a linear cutoff machine or the like to cut a webinto units of desired length by providing means to pre-set the gearratios of the variable speed transmissions to a known ratio for a knownlength by means of an electrically operated and controlled sizeselection system and it is a further object of this invention to providethat such an electrically operated size selection system be automatic.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an automatic lengthadjustment system which will call for an increased length or a decreasedlength adjustment in a cutoff device.

It is also an object of the invention to provide such automaticadjustment systems in forms which can be used as additions to existingmachine installations as well as components of original equipment.

These objects as well as advantages are achieved by means of theinvention described in this specification and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial schematic and partial flow sheet showing the priorart device which is employed by our invention;

FIG. 2 is a .partial block diagram, partial schematic and partial wiringdiagram showing components of the automatic size pre-set system asconnected to the variable speed transmission and the gear ratio controlmotor of the device;

FIG. 3 is a wiring diagram of the automatic size pre-set system;

FIG. 4 is a blockdiagram of the automatic size pre-set system;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view showing a detail comprising the web to becut and the magnetic pick-up transducer and associated parts of theautomatic length adjustment system;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the automatic length adjustment system; and

FIG. 7 is a graphic chart which shows the effect of the action of thevarious components of the automatic length adjustment system.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Automatic size pre-set system The function of the automatic size pre-setor size selection system is to automatically pre-set or adjust a cuttingknife to cut a length of material from a continuous web at propercutting intervals so that the first as well as the following blanks tobe cut will be of the predetermined length. Such a system isparticularly applicable to the control of an arrangement such as a Swiftpatent cutoff machine where a knife cuts portions of a moving web andwhere the knife cutting rate can be varied in relationship to the webmoving speed. Since the size of the blank depends on the ratio of thefrequency of the knife cut to the speed of the web, if we can assume thespeed of the web to be constant, varying the frequency of the knife cutwith relation to the speed of the web will produce larger or smallerblanks, inversely. Thus, when the knife cut interval is speeded up, theblanks will be shorter in length and when the knife cut interval isslowed down, the blanks will be longer in length. By changing theinput-output ratio of the variable speed transmission 15, the knifedrive frequency changes and with a constant web speed a variation incutoff length as achieved.

There will be a definite relationship ratio between a particular knifedrive frequency and a corresponding cutoff length of material cut atthat frequency and if the variable speed transmission can be preset tosuch known ratio, then a known cutoff length of material can bepredi'cted and achieved.

The heart of the system is a polarized relay called a decision relay 30shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The decision relay is one in which a neutralstate exists when little or no current passes through its coil such asthe relay disclosed in US. Letters Patent No. 2,443,784. The relay hasswitching means associated with it which provides for closing one switchsuch as switch 31 when a current flows in one direction through coil 30and for closing another switch such as the contacts of switch 32 whencurrent flows through the coil 30 in the opposite direction. Contacts ofswitches 31 and 32 remain normally open unless closed by means of acurrent flow through coil 30 as just described. Closing the contacts ofswitch 31 will cause a current to flow through relay coil 33 which inturn is associated with contacts of switch 34. Contacts of switch 34 arein normally open position and are closed only during the time whensufiicient current flows through relay coil 33.

When a current flows through coil 30 in a direction to close contacts32, then a current will flow through relay coil 35 which is associatedwith switch contacts 36 to close contacts 36 in a like manner.

Closing switch 34 will cause a current to flow through a control meanswhich will start the gear 'ratio control motor 16 to run in a directionwhich will increase the gear ratio of the output to the input ofvariable speed transmission 15. This will serve to decrease the lengthof a resulting blank so we will call contacts 34 the decrease lengthswitch of the automatic size selection system. Closing contacts ofswitch 36 will cause the gear ratio control motor 16 to run in theopposite direction to decrease the ratio of the output to the input ofthe variable speed transmission and thus to increase the length of theresulting blank. We shall, therefore, call these contacts 36 theincrease length switch. It is to be understood that the operation ofdecrease length switch 34 and increase length Switch 36 and theconstruction of components between these switch contacts and the controlof the gear ratio control motor 16 may be accomplished in any mannerknown to the art and is not specifically shown herein other than to showreference points 40 and 41 as coming from gear ratio control motor 16,and as being the points of connection.

Associated with the decision relay are a set potentiometer 42 and afollow potentiometer 43 whose resistance elements 44 and 45,respectively, are connected in parallel by means of conductors 46 and47. Wiper arm 48 of the set potentiometer 42 is connected to one end ofdecision relay coil 30 and wiper arm 49 of follow potentiometer 43 isconnected to the other end of decision relay coil 30. A supply of directcurrent is connected to this bridge arrangement or means through aconductor 50 and normally open activating switch 51 and by means of aconductor 52 to conductor 46. Conductor 47 is grounded at point 55 tothe other side 56 of the direct current supply 57.

The follow potentiometer 43 is mounted on a bracket (not shown) on themain frame of the variable speed transmission or other suitable place onthe main frame of the machine. Its wiper arm 49 is rotated through asuitable gear system or means presenting it to the shaft 60 whichconnects the gear control motor 16 and the variable speed transmission15. The gear means which are shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings maycomprise a worm gear 61 on shaft 60 meshed to a large gear 62 whichrotates a shaft 63 to which wiper arm 49 is connected. Thus, when shaft60 rotates in one direction, wiper arm 49 may be moved in a clockwisedirection as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, and when shaft 60 isrotated in a reverse direction to the first mentioned direction ofrotation, wiper arm 49 will move in a counterclockwise rotation. It willbe seen that the resistance of potentiometer 43 will be varied withinthe limits of rotation of shaft 60 and as the gear ratio between theoutput and input of the variable speed transmission is changed, wiperarm 49 will move. Therefore, wiper arm 49 is fixed on shaft 63 so thatit will contact one end of resistance 45 when the gear ratio of thevariable speed transmission 15 is adjusted at its highest limit and willthen move to the other end of resistance 45 as the gear ratio of thevariable speed transmission is adjusted by means of gear ratio controlmotor 16 to its lowest ratio limit.

Thus, for every particular variation of gear ratio, there will be aparticular position which wiper arm 49 will take with respect tocontacting resistance 45 of potentiometer 43.

The set potentiometer 42 is controlled by knob 65 which is connected towiper arm 48 so that wiper arm 48 will rotate with it. On a suitablepanel 66 calibration indicia 67 may be inscribed with relation to apointer 68 of knob 65. If, for example, the size of the blanks cut bythe machine can vary between to 200 inches, the calibration 67 can startwith the figure 10 at one end and end with the figure 200 at the otherend, and have the various intermediate sizes, let us say, in incrementsof 5 or 10 inches, in between. This would be a matter of choice.

The automatic size selection system as described takes equilibrium inits bridge means including the decision relay coil 30 and potentiometers42 and 43. Let us assume that the value of the resistances 44 and 45 inpotentiometers 42 and 43 are exactly equivalent. If wiper arms 48 and 49contact resistances 44 and 45, each at dead center, the system will beat equilibrium and no current could flow through coil 30. However, ifwiper arm 48 should be moved in either direction, up or down, thissystem of equilibrium will be disturbed and a current will flow throughcoil 30 with direction depending on whether arm 48 has been moved up ordown. This will cause switch contact 31 or switch contact 32 to close asthe case may be and cause gear ratio control motor 16 to rotate ineither a gear ratio increasing direction or a gear ratio decreasingdirection which in turn will cause shaft 60 to rotate in such respectivedirection and will result in the rota tion of wiper arm 49 of followpotentiometer 45. This rotation will continue until wiper arm 49 reachesa position against resistance 45 which will again place the bridge meansin equilibrium and cause cessation of flow of current in coil 30. Whencurrent stops flowing in coil 30, Switch contact means 31 or 32, as thecase may be, will again open and gear ratio control motor 16 will stoprunning. Thus, for each position that wiper arm 48 may be placed withrespect to its potentiometer 42, there is a corresponding position forwiper arm 49 to take with respect to its potentiometer 43 and by thismeans and system, setting knob 65 to different positions will cause thegear ratio control motor to change the gear ratio of the variable speedtransmission to different corresponding ratios and cause the arm of thefollow potentiometer to follow the arm 48 of the set potentiometer.

In practice, the set potentiometer is set to a previously calibratedindex number and then the activate switch 51 is closed. If this resultsin an unbalance in the system, the system will seek equilibrium as setforth above and the gear ratio control motor will change the variablespeed transmission to the ratio called for by the set potentiometer.When this equilibrium in the system is reached, the activate switch 51may be released.

Automatic length adjustment control system The automatic size selectionsystem of the invention described hereinabove will be used to pre-setthe equip ment for cutting a blank of a desired size. It sometimeshappens during the running of the machinery, for one reason or another,that blanks of increased or decreased length will come through and thereis, therefore, a constant need for inspection and re-setting the lengthof the cut. The purpose of the automatic length adjustment controlsystem of the invention shown in FIG. 6 is to automatically adjust thelength of the individually cut blanks time at which the knife cuts thematerial to the time at which the pre-set desired length of cut issupposed to be achieved. The desired length is set into counting meanssuch as a counter 70. Counter 70 is a type of predetermined counterwhich will produce an output signal and reset itself, when the number ofinput pulses equals the number pre-set on its dials 71 such as the oneobtainable commercially and known as Erie Pacific Model 300T PresetCounter. Such a predetermined counter is well known in the art and it isnot necessary to describe its particular operation herein.

Input pulses to the counter 70 are generated by a magnetic pickuptransducer 72 in proximity to an iron gear 73 which is mounted on ashaft 74 between two friction drive wheels 75. The drive wheels 75 andshaft 74 are mounted on the main frame of the machine in contactingrelationship with moving web 10. Drive Wheels 75 are exactly twelveinches in circumference and iron gear 73 has exactly one hundred twentyteeth 76 spaced at regular equidistant intervals around itscircumference. This relationship will produce one hundred twenty pulsesper linear foot of travel of web 10 or 10 pulses per inch. If presetcounter 70 is set to 600, the counter will generate an output pulse when600 input pulses have been received from the magnetic pickup transducer72.

The magnetic pickup transducer 72 which is used in the device is wellknown in the art. For example, such a transducer is marketedcommercially as Electro-Products Co. Model 3010-A.

Thus, a measurement of sixty inches of web is made since 600 inputpulses from transducer 72 will be equivalent to the travel of 600/10 ofan inch of the web 10 or sixty inches. In like manner, if the dial 71 ofthe counter 70 is set for 720 pulses, a measurement of seventy-twoinches of web is made. It will be thus seen that a measurement of Web toany length Within the capacity of the counter 70 may be made by thispart of the system comprising the length transducer 72 and thepredetermined counter 70.

The knife transducer means comprises a magnetic pickup 80 whichgenerates an electrical impulse for each revolution of the knife roller17. This is accomplished by means of a tooth 81 which may be setanywhere on the circumference of the roller so long as it enters themagnetic field of magnetic pickup 80 once for each revolution to producea pulse for each revolution of knife roller 17. Magnetic pickuptransducers 80 and 72 comprise a solenoid within which is a permanentmagnet. When a ferrous material such as tooth 81 passes within the fieldof the magnet, the change of flux will produce an output voltage.

While the transducing mechanism and means described thus far disclosethe preferred use of magnetic pickups 72 and 80, these could be replacedwith electrical contacts which contact physically to make a circuit orby photoelectric transducers.

The time discrimination logic means of the system provides for thecounter to count out a length of web and produce a pulse or signal andfor the knife transducer means to produce a pulse or signal and toanalyze the time relationship between these pulses or signals to directan increase or decrease in length by means of an appropriate pulse orsignal directed toward an appropriate relay which operates a contactconnected to the increment size adjustment system which in turn willdirect the gear ratio control motor 16. The time discrimination logicmeans is so constituted that when the counting pulse and the knife pulseoccur together within a tolerance hand, there will be no direction toincrease or decrease the length of the blank since the cut is being madeat precisely the right count or time. If, however, the pulse from theknife transducer leads or lags behind the pulse from the counter, thetime discrimination logic means of the system will produce anappropriate signal to either increase or decrease the length of the cut.

The time discrimination logic means comprises a binary flip-flop 85having a single input 86 and two outputs 87 and 88-. Each successiveinput pulse into the binary flip-fiop causes each of its two outputs tochange state. In the system described herein, we prefer to provide abinary flip-flop in which one output is at minus 6 'volts and the otherat 0 volt. When a pulse from the magnetic pickup 80 reaches input 86,the outputs will change and reverse; that is, the output which is thenat minus 6 volts will switch to 0 and the output which is then 0 voltwill switch to minus 6 volts. The very next impulse will cause theoutputs 87 and 88 to revert to the first stated conditions.

The binary fiip-flop 85 is a two stage, bistable device, 'each of whoseoutputs are at a different state. Upon application of an input signal,the outputs of the two stages flip or reverse and remain in such stateuntil the next input 'at which time they revert to the original state.

While not absolutely necessary, we prefer to provide an amplifier 89 toamplify the pulse coming from mag ne'tic pickup 80 and lead the signalfrom the amplifier 89 into a trigger 90, such as a Schmitt trigger, tostandardiz'e the wave shape and then lead the pulse into input 86 of thebinary flip-flop. Output 87 of the binary flip-flop is connected toinput 91 of flip-flop 92. Flip-flop 92 is a bistable multi-vibrator andis similar to binary flip-flop 85 except that it has two inputs and oneoutput. Input 91 is a set and input 93 is a reset. Output 94 isconnected to an input 95 of an and gate 96. And gate 96 is placedbetween magnetic pickup 72 and counter '70. And gate 96 is the type ofand gate which has two inputs 95 and 97 and an output :98. When bothinputs 95 'and 97 are present with correct polarity and amplitude, theand gate 96 will permit pulses to flow from pickup 72 to counter 70through input '97 and out of output 98. Thus, counter 70 can only countpulses from pickup '72 when flip-flop 92 is set and permits flow ofcurrent from its output '94 to input 95 of and gate 1'6.

The pulse signal emanating from counter 70 is fed into a one-shotmulti-vibrator 100. The one-shot multi-vibrator 100 is a mono-stabledevice being in a steady state condition with its output 101 set toremain at minus 6 volts. However, when a proper signal is sent throughits input 102 by an impulse from counter 70, the output 101 will changefrom minus 6 volts to 0 volt for a specified period of time and thenrevert back to the steady state condition at minus 6 volts. Its use hereis to insure the proper polarity and pulse rise time to activateflip-flop 92. As output 101 is connected to input 93 of flip-flop 92, apulse passing through one-shot multi-vibrator 100 will act to resetflipdiop 92. In other words, a pulse from output $7 of binary flip-flopwill set flip-flop 92 and permit counter 70 to count pulses through andgate 6. When the predetermined number of pulses are counted, a signalfrom counter 70 will go through one-shot multi-vibrator 100 and resetflipdiop 92 to close and gate and prevent counter 70 from counting.

Output 101 of one-shot multi-vibrator is also connected to inputs 105'and 106 of and gates 107 and 108, respectively. And gates 107 and 108each have three inputs and one output. The inputs 105 and 106, 109 and110, 111 and 112 of the two and gates, respectively, will permit eachand gate to operate when its three inputs are all at 0 voltage. If anyone of the inputs is at other than 0 voltage, no signal will emanatefrom output 113 or 114, as the case may be, of and gates 10'] and 108.If, on the other hand, all three inputs of either and gate 107 or andgate 108 are at 0, then a pulse will emanate from output 113 or 114 toone-shot multivihrator 115 or 116, as the case may be. One-shotmultivibrators 115 and 116 are connected to relay drivers 117 and 118which are in turn connected through appropriate means to contacts in theincrement size adjustment system so that a timed increment signal can bedelivered to connector 40 or 41, as the case may be, of the gear ratiocontrol motor to either increase or decrease the ratio of variable speedtransmission 15.

Output 87 of binary flip-flop 85 is also connected to and gate 107through input 10?. The other output 88 of binary flip-flop 85 isconnected through input 110 to and gate 108. The binary flip-flop 85 isalso connected through its output 88 to a variable one-shotmulti-vibrator 120 through input 121. The output 122 of variable oneshotmulti-vibrator 120 is connected to inputs 111 and 112 of and gates 107and 108, respectively.

The variable one-shot multi-vibrator has a tolerance control 123 whichpermits the control of the duration of the pulse which it emits fromoutput 122. Thus, each time magnetic pickup 30 picks up a pulse fromelement 81 (which is each time knife cylinder 17 revolves once and makesa cut), the pulse is amplified in amplifier 89, then is triggeredthrough trigger 90 to input 86 of binary flip-flop 85. This will changethe state of outputs 87 and 88 of binary flip-flop 85 from O to minus 6volts and vice versa. Let us assume that when the system is activated,the binary fiipdiop output 87 is at minus 6 volts and output 88 is at 0.At the first knife out, these states will change so that output 88 willthen be at minus 6 volts and output 87 at 0 and so on during theoperation of the system. When output 87 is at 0 volt, input 109 of andgate 107 will be at 0 volt, and input 110 of and gate 108 will be atminus 6 volts because it is connected to output 88 which is then atminus 6 volts. Thus, as flipfiop 85 switches, the voltages and outputs109 and 110 will switch so that when one is at 0 volt, the other will beat minus 6 volts and vice versa. This means that only one and gate 107or 103 may have an output at any given time so that the system cannotgive conflicting sig nals to increase and to decrease at the same time.This phase relationship is also important in permitting the system todetermine when an increase or decrease signal shall be given because asthe operation of the counter in connection with the system is describedbelow, it will become apparent that if a knife cut occurs before thesignal from the counter, it will be during the time when too short andgate 108 may be activated because input 110 is at and when too long andgate 107 is inhibited because input 109 will be at minus 6 volts. Theconverse will also follow that if a knife cut signal occurs after thecounter signal, it will be during the time when the too long and gatehas input 109 at O and may permit an output and when the too short andgate 108 is inhibited because input110 is at minus 6 volts.

Returning now to the outputs of binary flip-flop 85, output 88 changesin voltage and polarity for each input (each knife cut) and causesvariable one-shot multi-vibrator 120 to send a pulse of minus 6 volts toinputs 111 and 112 of toolong and? gate 107 and too short and gate 108simultaneously. This pulsed signal will act as an inhibitor tofand gates107 and 108. At all other times, inputs 1'11 and 112 will be at O andwill not inhibit the output of the said and gates.

By the nature of the system, the pulse from variable one-shotmulti-vibrator 120 will coincide with the change of voltage and polarityat inputs 109 and 110. Thus, at the moment of such change of polarity,the pulse from variable one-shot multi-vibrator120 being at minus 6volts, will inhibit both and gates. However, immediately before or afterthe pulse from variable one-shot multi-vibrator 120, the and gate 107 or108, which has its input 109 or 110 ,at'O, may permit an output signalthrough output 113 or 114if the third input 105 or 106 is at O. (This isthe determining factor for output in and gates 107 and 108 that allthree'inp-uts be at 0.) The signal from the counter throughmulti-vibrator 100 will determine when inputs 105 and 106 will be at 0.These inputs will be at minus 6 volts at all times except when thesignal signifying the end of the count of the counter 70 will place themat 0. I

As. was stated above, the counter 70 will count pulses from the lengthtransducer means. The counter may count only when and gate 96 is in anenabling state with inputs'97 and 95 at proper voltage. This depends onflip-flop 92 being in an on or set state. When output. 87 of binaryflip-flop 85 changes polarity and voltage to 0 volt, this signal entersinput 91 of flip-flop 92 to place it in set or on position and opens andgate 96 and permits the counter 70 to start counting. Let us say thatthe counter is set at 600 to measure a blank 60 inches long. At the endof 600 pulses, the counter will emit a signal to input 102 of one-shotmulti-vibrator 100 which will send .a pulse out of output 101 to bothinput 93 of flip-flop 92 and to inputs 105 and 106 of the and gates.Thistpulse signal will serve to reset flip-flop 92 and prevent furthercounting. Flip-flop 92 will not be set again until output 87 of binaryfliptop 85 is again switched to 0 volt. Thus, the counting cycle isstarted at every second pickup bymagn etic pickup 80 which means thatthe length transducer means operates to count after every alternateknife count. By the nature of the system, this will permit'an adjustmentin length after every second knife cut when such adjustment isnecessary.

It w ill be appreciated that if blanks of exactly 60 inches are beingcut, the counter will finish counting at the time the cut is being made.The binary flip-flop 85 will switch at the time the cut is being madeand variable oneshotmulti-vibrator 120 will produce its signal at thetime the out. is being made. The too long and too short and gates 107and 108'will both be inhibited because the 0 enabling inputs at 105 and106 from the predetermined counter 70 will be canceled out by theinhibiting input of minus 6 volts at 111 and 112. By the same token,when the blank is being cut at correct size, the inputs at 105 and 106will be at minus 6 volts between cuts during the time thatthe counter iseither counting or is off. This will inhibit both and gates and nocorrective action will -be taken. It willthus be seen that when theblank is being cut', at correct length, and gates 107 and 108 will beinhibited by a minus 6 voltage at either inputs 105 and 106 from thecounter or at inputs 111 and 112 from the variable one-shotmulti-vibrator 120. A too long or too short signal can only be givenwhen both of these signals are at 0. This can only occur when thecounter finishes counting before or after a knife cut.

At this point, we should mention the function of the tolerance control.Since this system is set up to measure by means of pulses spaced atintervals of of an inch, the spread of signal pulse from the one-shotmultivibrator should cover a time interval greater than the time ittakes to measure of an inch. This is to permit the variable one-shotmulti-vibrator 120 signal to overlap the one-shot multi-vibrator 100signal from the counter 70. Otherwise, a too short or too long signalmay be given even though the cut of the blank is accurate to within ofan inch. If greater accuracy is desired, it would, of course, benecessary to increase the number of teeth 76 on wheel 73. Doubling thenumber of teeth would duplicate the pulses and increase accuracyaccordingly. For a inch system, the number of teeth would be 12x16 or192.

We have set forth in FIG. 7 of the drawings a diagram showing the actionof counter 70 and multi-vibrator 100 with relation to the switching ofbinary flip-flop and the inhibit signal from variable one-shotmulti-vibrator 120. Reference to column A of FIG. 7 will show thecounter counting 600 pulses. At the 600 pulse, counter 70 will emit asignal to operate multi-vibrator which will cause inputs and .106 to beat 0 for a short interval. At exactly this time, the knife has made apremature cut so that output 87 and input 109 are at minus 6 volts andoutput 88 and input are at 0 volt. Outputs 111 and 112 are at 0 volt,the inhibit period having expired. Thus, and gate 108, which has all ofits inputs 106, 110 and 112 at 0 volt, will permit an output and signala too short or increase signal through one-shot multi-vibrator 116 andrelay driver 118 to cause an increase in increment adjustment of of aninch. Continuing on to the right of FIG. 7, in vertical column B, at thetime the counter 70 has counted out 600 pulses, the knife has not yetcut. Thus, inputs 105 and 106 will be at 0 volt, input 109 will be at 0volt, input 110 will be at minus 6 volts and inputs 111 and 112 will beat 0 volt. In this condition, and gate 108 will. be inhibited and and"gate 107 will send an output through 113 to one shot multi-vibrator 115and so forth to cause a decrease of 1A0 of an inch through the incrementadjustment system to the gear ratio control motor 16. lln column C, thecounter and knife cuts both operate at the same time indicating a blankof correct size. Thus, while inputs 105 and 106 are at 0 volt, inputs111 and. 112 will both be at minus 6 volts and both andgates 107 and 108will be inhibited. 1

While we have described our invention in its preferred form, there areother forms which it may take without leaving the scope of the"invention and we, therefore, desire to be protected for all forms comingwithin the claims hereinbelow.

1. In a material processing system having material moving and cuttingmechanisms including cutter driving means, cutter movement controlapparatus for effecting an accurately controlled length for the piecesto be cut ofi comprising: i Y

adjustable means presettable to indicate a desired one of a plurality ofcutoff lengths for the pieces; presettable measuring means for measuringa preselected length of material; means operable independently of thematerial moving mechanism and responsive to said adjustable means whenpreset for initially adjusting the cutter driving means for the presetcutofi length; the nature of the system being such that the length of ithe pieces that are cut might vary from the length sought by saidinitial adjustment requiring further adjustment under the control ofsaid measuring means;

means responsive to said measuring means upon measurement of saidpreselected length for providing a measured-length signal;

means for providing an actual-length signal in response to a cuttingoperation;

means responsive to non-coincidence of these two nals for providing anerror signal indicating the direction in which the actual length differsfrom the measured length;

and step means controlled by said error signal for effecting a smalluniform adjustment in the cutter driving means tending to bringsubsequent ones of the two signals toward coincidence.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, together with:

means for providing an inhibit signal in synchronism with one of saidtwo signals for preventing said step means from responding unless thedifference between the actual length and the measured length is morethan a predetermined amount.

3. The invention defined in claim 2, wherein said inhibit signalproviding means comprises:

means for adjusting said inhibit signal to vary the magnitude of errorfor which no correction is made.

4. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said adjustable meanscomprises:

an unbalancing device having a pointer which may be manually adjustedalong a dial calibrated in small unit lengths of material;

and said means responsive to said adjustable means comprises a follow-upsystem for adjusting the cutter driving means in accordance with theunbalance and for eifecting a rebalance to stop the adjustment of thecutter driving means.

5. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said presettable meanscomprises:

a predetermined digital counter for counting small unit lengths ofmaterial and for providing an output signal when it counts out inaccordance with its presetting.

6. In a material processing system having material moving and cuttingmechanisms including cutter driving means, cutting movement controlapparatus for effecting an accurately controlled length for the piecesto be cut olf comprising:

adjustable analog means presettable to indicate a desired cutoff lengthfor the pieces;

presettable digital measuring :means for measuring a preselected lengthof material;

means effective upon initiation of operation of the apparatus operableindependently of the material moving mechanism and automaticallycontrolled by said adjustable analog means for initially adjusting thecutter driving means for the preset cutoff length;

the nature of the system being such that the length of the pieces thatare cut might vary from the length sought by said initial adjustmentrequiring further adjustment under the control of said measuring means;

means in said measuring means for providing a measured-length signalwhen the preset length of material has been measured;

means for providing an actual-length signal at the time the material iscut;

means for receiving said measured-length signal and said actual-lengthsignal and for providing an error signal indicating whether the actuallength is shorter or longer than the measured length by more than apredetermined amount;

and means responsive to said error signal for adjusting the cutterdriving means one or more equal discrete steps according to themagnitude of error signal in a direction tending to equalize the actuallength with the measured length.

7. In a system for cutting moving material into pieces of predeterminedlength and including a cutter and driving means therefor, and means formoving the material past the cutter, the combination comprising:

means for preselecting a desired length for the pieces of material to becut; Y

means automatically controlled by said preselecting means for adjustingthe cutter driving means for cutting the desired length of pieces;

means for periodically measuring the material passing the cutter and forproducing a measured-length pulse when a predetermined length ofmaterial has been measured;

means for producing an actual length pulse in response to each drivingof the cutter through its cutting cycle;

means for comparing the time positions of each measured length pulse andthe corresponding actual length pulse and for producing an error signalindicative of the direction in which the actual length that has been cutdiffers from the measured length;

and means responsive to each error signal for adjust ing the cutterdriving means a uniform amount so that the length of the next piece willbe a discrete unit amount closer to the predetermined length than wasthe actual length of the piece just cut.

3. The invention defined in claim "7, together with:

means responsive to said actual-length pulse producing :means forproviding an inhibit signal of adjustable length and for applying thisinhibit signal to said error signal responsive means to inhibitoperation of the latter unless the separation of said pulses exceeds thelength of the inhibit signal.

9. In an apparatus for correcting the speed of operation of a cutterrelative to the speed of flow of uncn material being fed to the cutter;

means for producing a signal proportional to the material fiow speed;means for producing a signal corresponding to the cutter speed;

means for comparing the flow speed signal and the cutter speed signal todetermine how much the length of material cut by the cutter is shorteror longer than a predetermined length and a generate a respective errorsignal;

means responsive to the error signal regardless of its magnitude forcorrecting the cutter speed to produce pieces of predetermined length;and

means for inhibiting the action of said correcting means when the lengthof pieces produced is within a predetermined tolerance.

10. An automatic unit length adjustment system for cuting means,comprising: a material drive for driving a web of material to be cut anda cutter drive, and cutting means for cutting said material to a length,including:

a material drive actuated pulse producing means for producing pulsesrelates to the length of the material to be cut; I

cutting means actuated pulse producing means for producing pulsesrelated to the operation of the cutting means;

counting means to count the said web length related pulses and to send asignal after a selected number of pulses simultaneously to a first inputof a first and gate and a first input of a second and gate;

switching means associated with the said cutting means actuated pulseproducing means having outputs to to send signals alternately to asecond input of said first and gate and a second input of said secon andgate; and 1 signal producing means associated with the cutting meansactuated pulse producing means to send in.- hibiting signalssimultaneously to a third input of said first and gate and a third inputof said second and gate, said first and gate having having an outputconnected to means to produce adjustment in one direction in the size ofthe 'materialto be cut,

and said second and gate having an output connected to means to produceadjustment in the opposite direction in the size of the material to becut, the outputs of said and gates being suppressed during the presenceof said inhibiting signals.

11. A length adjustment system as defined in claim 10,

in which:

said first inputs of both and gates are at 0 voltage at end of counttime intervals and are at a potential controlled by said counting meansbetween said time intervals;

said second inputs of both and gates are alternately at 0 voltage when acut is made and at a potential betwen cuts in accordance with thecondition of said switching means;

the said third inputs of both and gates are at 0 voltage at all timesexcept when an inhibit potential is impressed by said cutting meansactuated pulse producing means; and

each of said and gates produces an output signal only 5 when all of itsinputs are at 0 voltage.

References Cited UNITED 15 ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A MATERIAL PROCESSING SYSTEM HAVING MATERIAL MOVING AND CUTTINGMECHANISMS INCLUDING CUTTER DRIVING MEANS, CUTTER MOVEMENT CONTROLAPPARATUS FOR EFFECTING AN ACCURATELY CONTROLLED LENGTH FOR THE PIECESTO BE CUT OFF COMPRISING: ADJUSTABLE MEANS PRESETTABLE TO INDICATE ADESIRED ONE OF A PLURALITY OF CUTOFF LENGTHS FOR THE PIECES; PRESETTABLEMEASURING MEANS FOR MEASURING A PRESELECTED LENGTH OF MATERIAL; MEANSOPERABLE INDEPENDENTLY OF THE MATERIAL MOVING MECHANISM AND RESPONSIVETO SAID ADJUSTABLE MEANS WHEN PRESET FOR INITIALLY ADJUSTING THE CUTTERDRIVING MEANS FOR THE PRESET CUTOFF LENGTH; THE NATURE OF THE SYSTEMBEING SUCH THAT THE LENGTH OF THE PIECES THAT ARE CUT MIGHT VARY FROMTHE LENGTH SOUGHT BY SAID INITIAL ADJUSTMENT REQUIRING FURTHERADJUSTMENT UNDER THE CONTROL OF SAID MEASURING MEANS; MEANS RESPONSIVETO SAID MEASURING MEANS UPON MEASUREMENT OF SAID PRESELECTED LENGTH FORPROVIDING A MEASURED-LENGTH SIGNAL; MEANS FOR PROVIDING AN ACTUAL-LENGTHSIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO A CUTTING OPERATION; MEANS RESPONSIVE TONON-COINCIDENCE OF THESE TWO SIGNALS FOR PROVIDING AN ERROR SIGNALINDICATING THE DIRECTION IN WHICH THE ACTUAL LENGTH DIFFERS FROM THEMEASURED LENGTH; AND STEP MEANS CONTROLLED BY SAID ERROR SIGNAL FOREFFECTING A SMALL UNIFORM ADJUSTMENT IN THE CUTTER DRIVING MEANS TENDINGTO BRING SUBSEQUENT ONES OF THE TWO SIGNALS TOWARD COINCIDENCE.